Rope sling



H. ANDERSEN ROPE SLING 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed oct. 27, 1947 (0i/I2) ff INVENTOR. .irJwQwe-g. Q2-49 @111,

Oct. 2, 1951 H. ANDERSEN y 2,569,912

ROPE SLING Filed 001'.. 27, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 2, 1 951 UNITED STATES PATENT,`

OFFICE This invention relates to improvements in rope slings and to an improved method of forming the same.

It is an object of this invention to provide a rope sling of the endless-rope type which has a breakage point substantially equal to that of two separate lengths of rope, and which is pro? vided with opposed tubular loop members forming chokers, so that the sling will tighten about a load in a simple and effective manner without requiring any force other than the weight of the load to cause the proper tightening.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a rope sling of the endless type, which is formed by splicing together the free ends of a length of rope, and is provided with a tubular loop member which confines and embraces the spliced portion of the rope so that only the smooth and uninterrupted portions of the rope will engage the load being lifted.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a rope sling of the aforementioned type in which a pair of tubular loop members or chokers are provided which embrace portions of the rope and are adapted to be passed through each other to form a choke-type sling, and which provide a stronger and more versatile rope sling.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a tubular member for use in a rope sling of the aforementioned type which has a portion of the outer wall section cut away, intermediate the extremities of the loop, so as to provide a clearance opening and rope seat, whereby a pair of the tubular loop members and a rope form the endless-type sling, aforementioned.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide nonabrasive and relatively resilient means for embracing the portions of the rope not confined by the aforementioned tubular mem.- bers, so as to protect the rope from gouging or the like. and so as to protect a load lifted by the sling from damage from the rope itself.

' It is a still further object of this invention to` provide a rope sling of the aforementioned type, which includes hook means for permitting the sling to be used as an extension sling or the like.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a rope sling of the aforementioned type which is especially rugged in construction, simple to make, inexpensive to manufacture, and which is.' more versatile in use than any heretofore known in the art.

fIt is astill further object of this invention toprovide an improved method for forming a 4 Claims. (Cl. 294-74) rope sling of the aforementioned type, which permits the sling tobe made in a more economical and eiiicient manner.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary front elevational View of one embodiment of the rope sling of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1 taken along the line 3--3 thereof;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1 taken along the line 4-4 thereof;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional v iew of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1 taken along the line 5 5 thereof;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the rope sling illustrated in Fig. 1 showing the sling in a partially constructed position;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a further embodiment of a rope sling of this; invention;

Fig. 8 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section taken along the line 8 8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 `is a `fragmentary side elevational view of the rope sling illustrated in Fig. 7 arranged to` form a choke-type sling and -connected to a conventional cranehook;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a still further embodiment of a rope sling of this invention;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged sectional view'of the structure illustrated in Fig. 10 taken along the line H-II thereof;

Fig..12 is an enlargedsectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 11 taken along the line IZ-IZthereof; and

Fig. 13 is an enlarged sectional View of the structure illustrated in Fig. 10 taken along the line I3-I3 thereof. y

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 6, it will be seen that the rope sling illustrated therein includes a rope `I5 made of any suitable material such as wire and, a pair of opposed andspaoed tubular loop-meme..

bers or chokers II and I9. The chokers I 'I and |9 are preferably bentin theshape of a U, and. the free endsof the 1egs 20thereof are prefer;-

ably, although not necessarily, interconnected The outer wall portion' a suitable cross bar 2|.

of the'bight 23 of the tubular member I'I is cut away at 25, as best illustrated in Fig. 3, so as to provide a clearance opening at the closed ends of the legs and also to provide a rope seat, as will be hereinafter brought out.

The bight of the tubular member I9 may be either cut away in the same manner as in the tubular member I1 or may be closed so that the member I9 will be open only at the free ends of the legs 120 thereof. However, "for reasons which will hereinafter appear, the tubular member I9 is illustrated as being formed in the same manner as the tubular choker I'I. The inside diameter of the tubular choker I9 is substantially equal to the outside diameter of the rope I5, to allow a true bearing of the rope .underits strain and to allow equalingof the two ropesections, as will hereinafter appear; while the inside diameter of the choker I'I is larger :than vthe outside diameter of the rope I5.

The lrope sling is formed .by :taking the :length oi .rope |.5and threading .it through -the `tubular member I9. As the upper wall .of the -bight of the .choker I 9 `is cutaway, the rope may beeasily threaded through the opposed choker legs 2.9. However, if the `choker I9 were closed, except for the free ends thereof, the .inside -diameter .of the choker would Ahave .to .be larger than the .rope I5 in Aorder -to Vpermit the latter :to -be easily .threaded through the former. When a closed tubular member .is `used, .the :space between .the rope `and the inside diameter of the choker `would-be -l-led with solder, .or -other suitable -l-l material.

As .can be seen in Fig. 6, when the rope .is threaded through the 'choker I9, a .pair-of spaced parallel rope sections 2B are provided, which Yexvtend outwardly trom reach .of the choker legs .20. VThe free ends of the rope sections .are then passed through, and beyond, .the legs 29 :of the choker ILso that the free ends of therope sections extend beyond the bight portion .of -the choker ITL'.v .The free ends of ythe ropesections 26 are then .spliced together yat `2.1 with an impro-ved interlocking .splice which under tests .has proven itself to be .of vequal strength 4to .the rope, .and which .is flexible enough Sto be shaped .into .a loop, and the choker I1 vis moved along the rope sec tions .26 until the .spliced rope portion .2l is di.'

posed within the confines of the .tubular choker I .'I. As .the `upper wall of the choker is open, .and as the inside diameter .of .the tubular .choker I=`| islarger than the rope, the splice v2.1 can be .easily and completely conned thereby. The V-portiozns of thechoker legs 20, adjacent the .free .ends thereof also embrace .a limited portion .of the unspliced rope sections 26 and, therefore, .acertain amount of ,play 4between these rope portions choker, .the .free ends of the -choker ,legs 29 .are

filled with .any suitable fill .material such as solder 29, as can be best seen in.Fig.-4.

It will thus be .seen that `a rope .sling of the endless-rope type, which -will have the strength of substantially'that of two separate ropes, Lis provided in which the spliced portion of the rope is completely confined within a tubular choker. Therefore, only the smooth and uninterrupted portion of .the rope can engagea load to be lifted 'so `that uniform engagement of `the `load is obtained and so Vthat the rope can freely slide with respect rto .the load, thereby .insuring that the load will be properly centered in the sling and will not be damaged by the spliced portion of the rope.

It will thus be appreciated that this sling may be used as a choke-type sling, such as generally illustrated in Fig. 9, for drawing .tightly around a load in lifting the same. Y As the rope I5 is smooth along its unconned portions, the load itself will tighten the sling with respect thereto and will not require any hammering or forcing of either choker in order to tighten the sling around the load. Y

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. '7, 8 and "9, the rope sling of the aforementioned type is provided with a pair of overlapping and opposed hooks 3| and 33. The hooks 3| and 33 are provided adjacent the opposite ends from their hook .portions with an .aperture 35 through which the rope I5 and the choker I9 is passed, so that the hooks form a part of the sling. The hooks may be disposed along a portion of either of the rope sections .2B for tubular choker 'I9 `so as to 'be adapted for `various uses by cutting :away the cross bar 2| of choker I9; but in the drawings,- the fhooks are shown as ybeing supported by -the bight portion of the .tubular choker I9 and conned thereon by the Across bar 2|. With lthis arrangement, the -upper choker I1, as illustrated in Fig. f7, vcan be directly Yconnected to acrane hook 37|, and the hooks 31 and 33 will ldepend from the lower choker I9 so Athat the :sling is adapted for use as an'eXtension-type sling rather than as a-choke-type sling. The hooks are .slidable on the bight portionof the tubularchoker I9 so that they may properly center themselves along the bight in accordance with the vload which they are lifting.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. -10 to 1-3, the rope sections 25 of the sling, between `.the tubular chokers I'I and I9, are embraced byzsuitable nonabrasive and somewhatresilient mat-erial, .shown :as being vin .the form of rubber and canvas steam hose or tubing having an inside diameter corresponding to .the outside .diameter of ythe rope. In the .assembly of .this .sling, .a piece of tubing 39 is inserted over `each .of the rope vsections after the rope has been .threaded through the tubular choker I9 .and before it .has been passed .through .the .tubular choker .I"I.`

Each of .the tubing .members 39 is .moved alongv its rope section -until it abuts the free .end .of its choker leg 20. vThese .pieces of tubing .are of fa shor-t .enough length to permit the choker. |`1 to. be moved .along the .rope sections far enough to permit the splicing .to take place .beyond the choker IT as described above. .After .the tree ends vof .the rope sections 2'6 haye'beenspliced and the choker II .moved away .from the choker 'I9 so .as to embrace the spliced portion 21 ofthe rope., a gap between .the free ends-of the legs of the choker `I`| .and the upper end of the tubingv members 3.9 exists. VEach of these gapsr is llleii by longitudinally .splitting a short piece Lof .tubing 4I and stretching it around each nnembraced portion of the rope. As bestseen in Fig. 11 the splititu'bing members 4I are wrapped witha suit-v able tape 43 so as to be held in place. The portionsY of vthe rope I5, which are not confined .by

the .chokers `Iland I9, are thus embraced by the if vthe members 39 become worn. The tubingA prevents any damage to articles .or loads whichmight occur where wirerope is .used which might dig into, .or Adamage-.the load 4being carried.

tubing, therefore, acts as a protector, both for the load being carried as Well as a protector for the rope itself.

It will thus be seen that a rope sling is provided which has many uses and which may be arranged to carry various types of loads. Likewise, it will be seen that the sling of this invention is extremely strong and has the spliced rope portions completely conned in a choker. It will therefore be appreciated that this sling is more versatile and more rugged in construction, as well as being inexpensive to manufacture and much more eicient and simple to use than any sling heretofore known in the art.

I claim:

1. A rope sling including a length of rope reversely looped intermediate its ends so as to provide spaced parallel extending rope sections, a generally U-shaped tubular member being partially open intermediate the ends thereof so that the free ends of said cable can initially extend through and beyond said tubular member, said rope free ends being spliced to provide an endless rope with the spliced portion being of a larger diameter than the remainder of the rope, and the majority of the spliced portion of said rope being tightly embraced and conned in said tubular member.

2. A rope sling including a pair of tubular loop members at least one of which is partially open intermediate the extremities thereof, a length of rope threaded through one of said tubular members so as to have an intermediate portion thereof confined by said one tubular member and so that the free ends of said rope are disposed in spaced relation to said last tubular member, said free ends of said rope being inserted through the other tubular member and extending through the open portion thereof and beyond said tubular member, the free ends of said rope being spliced together beyond said other tubular member so that said spliced portion is of a larger diameter than the remainder of the rope and said other tubular member then being arranged so as to tightly conne the majority of the spliced portion of said rope therein.

3. A rope sling including an endless rope formed by reversely looping a length of rope and splicing the free ends of the latter together so that the spliced portion is of a larger diameter than the remainder of the rope, a tubular loop member having an intermediate portion of the outer wall section thereof out away to provide a clearance opening and a rope seat, said tubular loop member tightly embracing the majority of the spliced portion of said rope and embracing a portion of the unspliced section of said rope, and iill means disposed in the portion of said tubular loop member embracing said unspliced rope portion so as to tightly confine the unspliced portion of said rope disposed in said tubular loop member.

4. A rope sling including a pair of tubular loop members at least one of which has an intermediate portion of its outer wall section cut away to provide a clearance opening and rope seat, a length of rope, one of said tubular members having an inside diameter substantially equal to the outside diameter of said rope and said rope being threaded through said one tubular member so that an intermediate portion of said rope is conned by said tubular member and the free ends of said rope extend outwardly and parallel from said tubular member, the free ends of said rope being inserted through the other of said tubular members and through the open portions thereof to a point beyond said other tubular member, the free ends of said rope being spliced together so that the spliced portion is of a larger diameter than the remainder of the rope, said other tubular member having an inside diameter oi a size suicient to receive and tightly confine the spliced portion of said rope therein and embrace a portion of the unspliced part of said rope, and fill means disposed in the portion of said last tubular member which embraces the unspliced portion of said rope so as to substantially tightly confine the unspliced portion of said rope in said tubular member.

HANS ANDERSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,063,738 Ruland June 3, 1913 1,168,802 Harrison Jan.. 18, 1916 1,184,891 `Sunderland May 30, 1916 2,152,096 Russell Mar. 28, 1939 2,277,424 White Mar. 24, 1942 2,435,088 Mazzella Jan. 27, 1948 2,448,463 Robbins Aug. 31,1948 

